Planoqrapii co



M. GRAF.

COALHOLE COVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, I919.

1 ,3 1 2,395 Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

ATTORNEYS Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON/ D4 c.

UNITED STATES "PATENT @FFTQE.

GRAF, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y.

. COALHOLEwCOVER.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

. Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

.Be it known that .1, MAX GRAF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of'New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Coalhole-Cover, of which the following is a full, clear, 1 and exact description.

This invention relates to coal'hole constructions orlthelike and has particular reference to improved means for securing va coal hole cover to lts base, With respect to a removable or detachable hinge construction for the renewal. or. interchange of covers and also with respect )to a key controlled 1 auto- Imatically closing .lock whereby the cover cannot :be .opened from the outside by any one not in authority or without "a key.

WhileI show and describe :my improve- With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the l inven- .tionis notrestrictedto the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still .forthe purpose of illustrating a practical .embodiment thereof reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same ipartsin the several views, and in which- F igure l is an inside elevation of my im proved coalhole cover open and with the ase thereof in vertical transverse section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail line2'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the same plane but with the cover locked closed.

Fig.4 is a fragmentary plan view showingthe outside appearance of the hinge portion of my improvement, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of one on the 7 design of key for unlocking and opening the cover.

Referring now more specifically to. the drawings I show a coal hole construction embodying a foundation10 of concrete or the like having a chute or passageway llfor theconveyance of coal or other objects, and

securelybuilt in or otherwise fixed to "the v foundation 10in a permanent manner inia base-member '12 shown in the form of an annular collar, though as to the particular form obviously I donotproposeto be limited. {Any other "form than round might be employed so farxas my particular improvement is concerned. This'base includes horizontal .and vertical flange portions 1. and 12 respectively and a countersunk or rabbeted ;portion 12. The structure also preferably includes a plurality of downwardly projecting anchoror legmembers 13Lhaving laterally projected feet 14Whereby "the connection between the base and the foundation is made both secure and permanent. Obviously the base may be set in "flush with the upper surface of the foundation or pavement and when once built in gplace is understood to' be a permanent fix- 'ture and not liable tobecome broken or worn out.

The cover 15 is essentially circular or disk shaped as shownto correspond to the *rabbeted seat 12 into whichit is fitted when .closedfthe upper surface of the cover lying flush with the upper Ifiange 12* of the base,

. although preferably the central portion of the-cover is convexed or crowned to increase its strength. The rear 'edge portion of'the cover i s "provided with a pivot'bar 16 which lies and turns in a correspondingly formed groove or recess 17 formedin the base. This'ban however, lies substantially flush with the upper surfaceof thebase and being vwithout obstructionthereover is free, except as otherwise stated below, to be lifted directly out ofthe groove 17. This bar obviously constitutes one of theprincipal "features of the hinge around which the cover is adapted to be swung'to open or closedposition.

'18 indicates an auxiliary hinge member in the *nature of-,a slide having a certain .amount io'fradial movementalong the under surface of the cover within a keeper 19fixed removablyjto 'apair of spaced guides 20 by screws or the like 21.

pivoted at 34 between a certain amount of horizontal movement in the slot as will be noted in comparing Figs. 2 and 3.

The slide 18 has free slidable movement in the keeper coincidentally with the pivotal movement of the cover around the axis 16 and to compensate for the eccentricities of the two pivots 16 and 27 the pin or pivot 27 moves outward along the slot 26 while the cover is swung upward to open position. The upward or open swing of the cover is limited by several features: First by contact between the lug 23 and the upper end of the slot 22, the resistance of the butt 25 acting through the pivot pin 27 and also by the engagement between the pivot bar 16 and the wall of the groove 17 The cover, however, cannot be lifted from the base in any position so long as the slide 18 remains attached as indicated. In order to remove the cover, however, after it is opened it is only necessary to remove the screws 21 setting free the keeper plate 19 and consequently releasing the cover from its hinge connections.

The slide 18 carries a lug 28 located preferably centrally between the slot 22 and the knuckles, but not far below the lower end of the slot. \Vhile the hinge member or slide 8 has rather loose sliding engagement in the keeper, the function of the lug 28 is to take up any looseness or lost motion vertically between the several portions of the hinge structure when the cover is closed, said lug being drawn by the closing action of the cover snugly against the upper or inner the pin being free for surface of the keeper plate as shown in Fig. 3.

This constitutes a wedging action and since the pivot pin 27 is held positively from upward movement by means of the butt 25 it follows that the slide 18 will be held in a substantially fixed position when closed. There fore with the lug 28 acting as a wedge and bearing downwardly upon the keeper plate 19 fixed rigidly to the cover it follows that the hinge portion of the cover will be locked down snugly in its seat 12.

Any suitable locking means may be provided remote from the hinge structure to prevent the unauthorized opening of the cover on the outside. The locking means I prefer to employ, however, includes a bolt 29 slidable outward radially along the under surface of the cover and having a nose 30 engageable beneath the flange of the seat 12. This bolt is confined substantially in the place indicated by any suitable keeper such as a pin 31 fixed in a pair of ears or lugs 32 and 32 attached on the under surface of the cover. A weighted lever 33 is the ear 32 and a corresponding ear 35. Thelever and bolt both lie between the ears 32 and 35. The lever 33 is in the nature of a bell crank, the shorter arm of which is slotted at 36 eccentrically of the pivot 34 and embraces a finger 37 projecting laterally from the bolt 29. When the cover is closed the weighted end of the lever 33 gravitating causes the outward projection of the bolt 29 and holds it in such locking position. The cover is provided with a key hole 38 for the reception of a key 39, the key and hole being of inclividual mating character requiring that a particular key shall be used in each par ticular cover, but the bit portion 10 of the key in any event when the key is turned as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 will bear against a lug or finger 41 and so move the bolt bodily inward toward the center of the cover thereby releasing the nose 30 from looking position. The finger 41 being an integral portion of the bolt is limited in its movement by striking against the ear 35 so that the operator knows when the bolt is unlocked and while the key is in this position he will lift upon the handle portion thereof to open the cover.

When the cover is open it will stand unsupported in open position. To close the cover the operator will either lower it by the use of the key as a handle while the key remains in the key hole, or he may slam the cover shut without danger of breakage because of the fact that it fits within the seat of the base so perfectly, being guided in its closing movement by the compound hinge structure above set forth. If the cover is slammed shut the lock will automatically catch and hold it, the rounded portion of the nose 30 wiping against the seat flange for this purpose.

I claim:

1. The combination of a base having a seat, a hinge slide, means pivotally connecting the slide tothe base within the seat, a cover having a pivot bar cooperating with the upper portion of the base and with its axis parallel to the axis of the slide, and a keeper serving to confine the slide in close parallel relation to the cover in all positions of the cover.

2. The combination of a fixed rigid base having a seat, a hinge slide, pivot means connecting the lower end of the slide to the base within the seat, a cover having pivotal connection with the base independent of the aforesaid pivot means and eccentric thereto, a keeper plate removably connected to the inner surface of the cover and holding the slide adjacent to the cover for slidable movement coincidentally with the swinging movement of the cover, and means acting between the slide and the keeper plate serv ing to wedge the cover tight upon its seat when closed.

3. In a coal hole cover construction, the combination of a base having an inward projection, a cover movable to closed position in contact with the base, a lock for the cover comprising a bolt carried by the inner surface of the cover and [adapted to engage beneath said projection, and a key controlled gravity operated actuating means for said bolt, said bolt actuating means comprising a Weighted bell crank having formed in one of its arms a slot eccentric to the pivot of the lever and having cooperation with a finger carried by the bolt.

4. In a coal hole structure, the combination of a base having a projection, a cover movable into closed position in contact with the base, a bolt movable along the inner surface of the cover to engage said projection in looking position, said bolt having on 15 ber having slotted connection with one of 20 said fingers, and a key projectable downward through the cover to release the bolt and serve as a handle for lifting the cover, said key cooperating with the other of said fingers.

MAX GRAF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, I). 0. 

